Author: Andrew McDiarmid | Page 2

Group young people using mobile smartphone outdoor - Millennial generation having fun with new trends social media apps - Youth technology addicted - Red background

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Andrew McDiarmid
Date
October 19, 2021

Categorized
Data Privacy, Social Media

Tagged
Featured, Frances Haugen, Luddites}

Are We Really Luddites Just for Logging Off?

_{We can be wiser about boundaries for technology} _{Andrew McDiarmid
October 19, 2021

5

Data Privacy, Social Media}

(This piece is reprinted with permission from the Houston Chronicle, October 7, 2021.) Have you ever been called a Luddite? If so, you were probably not being credited with fueling a skilled labor movement in 19th century England. You were being jabbed for your relationship to technology. Today, the term is largely pejorative and can be directed at anyone who questions, rejects or even fumbles with technology. If you resist a new technology in favor of an old one, you’re a Luddite. If the recent testimony from Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen persuaded you to quit social media, you’re a Luddite. If you don’t know how to use a newer technology efficiently, you’re a Luddite. You’re swimming upstream down the river Read More ›

Ageing society concept with Asian elderly senior adult women sisters using mobile digital smart phone application technology for social media network among friends community via internet communication

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post

Andrew McDiarmid
Date
October 6, 2021

Categorized
Social Media}

Need Help With Today’s Technology? Ask Your Elders!

_{Until you place technology in its larger context, you won’t fully understand or appreciate it.} _{Andrew McDiarmid
October 6, 2021

5

Social Media}

(This story originally appeared at Newsmax and is reprinted with the author’s permission.) I made a new friend recently in an unlikely place—the comments section of Newsmax.com. In response to a recent post for my Newsmax column, Dorothy shared of her experience as a telephone company switchboard operator from 1949 to 1952. In her initial comments, she recalled a nugget of wisdom she’d once heard from someone: change is not always progress. We got to talking. Born in 1932, Dorothy has lived in several states in America and held jobs at a telephone company, the U.S. Air Force, American Airlines, a travel agency, a Tupperware sales agency, and more. She’s lived through countless technological developments in every area of life. Read More ›

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Andrew McDiarmid
Date
September 10, 2021

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Technocracy

Tagged
Alan Turing, Charles Darwin, Erik J. Larson, Featured, Myth of Artificial Intelligence (book)}

Isn’t It Time for an Artificial Intelligence Reality Check?

_{Why do we think we’re so close to artificial general intelligence (AGI) when there are so many obstacles to overcome?} _{Andrew McDiarmid
September 10, 2021

5

Artificial Intelligence, Technocracy}

The Singularity is coming! The Singularity is coming! If you’re getting tired of hearing that “strong AI” is just around the corner, you’re not alone. The Stephen Hawkings, Ray Kurzweils, and Elon Musks of the world have been putting humanity on notice with predictions of machines overtaking humans for decades. It’s either the dawn of utopia or the start of a nightmare, depending on who’s talking. And every time they’re issued, the media jumps on them, because being on the cusp of a new era of intelligent beings is news. What’s missing from these confident claims, however, is a realistic assessment of the problems that rank-and-file computer scientists wrestle with every day — namely, the problem of intelligence. In their Read More ›

woman with gray hair in green jumper talking to the digital virtual assistant at home, asking a question or requesting to switch music. Smart AI speaker concept and voice command control

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Andrew McDiarmid
Date
August 20, 2021

Categorized
Artificial Intelligence, Medicine and Health

Tagged
Featured}

Automated “Caring”: The Limits of Talking to a Machine

_{Are there situations where a person would simply prefer to talk to a machine? Some researchers think so} _{Andrew McDiarmid
August 20, 2021

5

Artificial Intelligence, Medicine and Health}

“Just get me to a human!” Those were my words just a few weeks ago, the last time I can recall speaking directly to a machine. It was the Xfinity phone system assistant. I get that there’s a need for large national corporations to effectively manage interactions with their customers, especially with the labor shortages and spikes in internet usage brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. But leaving me to fend for myself with a machine – especially a stubborn, unhelpful one! – isn’t my idea of superior customer service. Eventually, the Comcast assistant got the drift and passed me on to a human being, who quickly and kindly helped me out by doing exactly what the machine said could Read More ›

Close up of vinyl record on stack of records collection

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post

Andrew McDiarmid
Date
August 3, 2021

Categorized
Arts & Culture

Tagged
Epoch Times, Wall Street Journal}

Strong Vinyl Record Sales Show Why Going Retro Helps You Stay Rooted

_{In a digital age, why bother buying vinyl records, print newspapers, or a spinning top?} _{Andrew McDiarmid
August 3, 2021

4

Arts & Culture}

Originally published at Newsmax. Vinyl is very much back in vogue these days. At the height of COVID-19 last year, vinyl sales exceeded CD sales for the first time since the 1980s. And this year, the first Record Store Day of 2021 saw over 1.5 million vinyl albums sold in a week, with more sales being tallied up after the second Record Store Day drop on July 17th. While around 85% of music industry revenues now come from streaming sources, this slow and steady increased interest in vinyl is notable. While several factors affect music consumption trends, vinyl endures for two main reasons. First, the music sounds better on vinyl, and second, it’s a physical product that can be handled. The reward Read More ›

Bottom view close-up of four white surveillance cameras

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post

Andrew McDiarmid
Date
June 29, 2021

Categorized
Global Technology, Social Media, Surveillance}

What We Lose When We Stop Losing Things

_{What do we lose when we stop losing things? Amidst all this finding, do we risk losing part of ourselves?} _{Andrew McDiarmid
June 29, 2021

5

Global Technology, Social Media, Surveillance}

To live is to lose. We’ve all felt the anguish of losing something important — keys, wallet, phone, bags, money, opportunities, loved ones. Loss is part of the human condition. Some things we find again, some we don’t. It has been this way throughout history. But the development of Bluetooth technology in the 1990s forever changed the way we interacted with our possessions. The wireless standard — developed by a consortium of early tech companies — uses low-power short-range radio waves to connect our gear to personal-area networks known as piconets. It got its name rather serendipitously from the medieval Scandinavian king Harald “Bluetooth” Gormsson. And just as his rule united Scandinavia, so Bluetooth networking has united our favorite tech Read More ›

DNA in hand on blue background concept design.

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Andrew McDiarmid
Date
June 9, 2021

Categorized
Science

Tagged
Bill Gates, Biology, Charles Darwin, DNA, Intelligent Design, Origin of life, Return of the God Hypothesis (book), Richard Dawkins, software design, Stephen C. Meyer}

The Coolest Tech on the Planet (Hint: It’s Inside You!)

_{The intricate design of the living cell has left many materialists stumped} _{Andrew McDiarmid
June 9, 2021

5

Science}

These days, we surround ourselves with technology to stay in touch, to keep ourselves informed, and to manage the challenges of our daily lives. We also recognize in our devices and machines all the hallmarks of design, understanding reflexively that they express the ingenuity of engineers or software developers. Our appreciation for applied intelligence comes as second nature to us — we intuitively recognize the work of other minds. But what happens when we look up from our technology and survey the world of nature? When we look up at the movement of the planets, or into the eyes of our children, or when we peer through a microscope into a living cell? Do we see signs of minds in Read More ›

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Andrew McDiarmid
Date
May 31, 2021

Categorized
Data Privacy, Ethics, Programming, Surveillance

Tagged
Google search algorithms (bias)}

Does the Company Selling You Tech Have the Same Worldview As You?

_{A worldview is how we view the world and our place in it.} _{Andrew McDiarmid
May 31, 2021

5

Data Privacy, Ethics, Programming, Surveillance}

Much of the technology we interact with today is part of a larger group of ecosystems maintained by major tech companies. If you have an iPhone, for example, you’re often more likely to use a Macbook, watch AppleTV, or subscribe to Apple Music. If you shop on Amazon, you might also have their Echo digital assistant or a Ring video doorbell. And if you Chromebook, you’re likely to use Gmail and maybe have a Pixel. Fueled by brand loyalty, tech ecosystems are part of the workings of a healthy free market. But if you’re going to commit to a tech company by being part of their ecosystem, it’s important to compare the worldview of that company to your own and Read More ›

Divided young couple busy with their smartphones each

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Andrew McDiarmid
Date
May 28, 2021

Categorized
Arts & Culture, Data Privacy, Surveillance

Tagged
Apple (company), Appropriate Technology, Technology (lifestyle management)}

The (Magnetic) Force Is Strong With Apple — Here’s How to Resist

_{To keep the magnetic force in check between Big Tech and us, we must first establish who is boss over our technology} _{Andrew McDiarmid
May 28, 2021

5

Arts & Culture, Data Privacy, Surveillance}

With the iPhone 12, Apple has introduced a new line of accessories that use magnetism to quickly attach and charge the phone. The company has used magnets for years to connect charging adapters and cases. Now they’re adding it to more products with the bet that iPhone users will find the lure of magnetic connection irresistible. As a natural phenomenon, magnetism is as old as dirt and yet it still amazes us when we see it in action. There’s another kind of magnetism at work here, too. It’s the pull of attraction between Apple’s devices and the people who use them. Like many longtime Apple customers, I have felt this attraction since 2008 when I purchased my first iPhone, the 3G. Read More ›

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Andrew McDiarmid
Date
May 26, 2021

Categorized
Data Privacy, Programming, Surveillance}

How Google’s Chromebook Erodes Your Digital Freedom

_{A Chromebook is designed to serve up Google services, allowing Google outsized control of your computing experience and your digital identity.} _{Andrew McDiarmid
May 26, 2021

6

Data Privacy, Programming, Surveillance}

This month, Chromebook turns ten years old. It’s a good time to take a look at Google’s latest Chromebook offering and show you why you can do better. Much better. Although the Pixelbook Go has a hefty price tag and is lighter, thinner, and faster than ever, it’s still just a Chromebook. Here’s why using a Chromebook weakens your computing power, erodes your digital freedom, and reduces your ability to learn and think. “I’ve got the power,” goes the famous 90’s song by Snap!, but you wouldn’t be able to sing that with confidence holding a Chromebook. Somewhere between netbook and notebook, the Chromebook is a physical manifestation of the Google ecosystem, giving customers who already use Google services a Read More ›

database concept. vintage cabinet. library card or file catalog.

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post

Andrew McDiarmid
Date
May 9, 2019

Categorized
Social Factors, Technocracy

Tagged
Information, Longform, search engines}

Beyond the Google Search

_{Today's search technology may provide us with an "answer" we did not work for and won't remember} _{Andrew McDiarmid
May 9, 2019

6

Social Factors, Technocracy}

While a search engine or online encyclopedia may be a convenient first resort, you should see it as merely a starting point. From there, you can turn to other resources, either online or in person.

No Thanks, Google, I’ve Got This!

_{Andrew McDiarmid
July 18, 2018

7

Applied Intelligence}

Hey Google, can you say a prayer for me? Hey Google, can you go to work for me today? I’m not in the mood. Hey Google, tuck my kids into bed. What if in the near future we are encouraged to leave these sorts of tasks to a Big Tech company? Far-fetched? Maybe right now. But what about ten years from now?